Christmas Tradition
by swanqueenbug
Summary: Short little SQ Christmas AU. Regina is mayor and Emma runs a foster home.


**Here is a little AU SQ Christmas fic that popped into my head. All errors are my own and I own nothing. Enjoy!**

* * *

Turning the key in her mercedes and stilling the engine, Regina Mills opens her door and steps into the crisp December late night air. Pulling her coat tighter around her body, she rounds the car and, reaching the trunk, lifts it open. Inside are several large red boxes and, reaching for one she pulls it out and closes the trunk again.

Light snow is falling silently around her as she carefully makes her way up the walkway to the large house marked "710" above the door. The house is almost completely dark as she approaches, box in her arms.

She's about halfway up the path when she comes to a startled stop as the door opens and a tall blonde woman steps out.

"Can I help you?" The blonde asks, narrowing her eyes at the stranger standing several feet from her.

Regina stands frozen a moment, unsure of what to do. Finally, taking a slow step forward she speaks.

"This," She starts, looking down at the box in her arms, "This is for the children under your care."

The blonde, who had been studying the other woman carefully as she walked toward her, suddenly stills and her eyes go wide as a memory floods into her mind.

* * *

 _An 8 year old Emma Swan, green eyes filled with wonder, presses her small face to the frosty window and watches the dark station wagon's red taillights drive away through the snow. After the lights are long faded into the distance among the Christmas lights, Emma blinks several times before turning from the window and throwing her blankets off of her legs. She jumps down from the top bunk in the room she shares with her many foster siblings, all asleep around her and slides out before she starts running down the hall to find her foster mother._

 _Finding the woman in the kitchen, Emma sidles up next to her._

" _Who was that?" Emma asks, slightly out of breath._

" _Who was who?" The tall woman asks, confused, eyes still on the dishes._

" _At the door." Emma responds, narrowing her eyes at her foster mother._

" _Emma, what are you talking about?" The older woman says, letting out a breath and finally turning to the small blonde girl next to her. "There hasn't been anyone at the door._

" _I just saw out my window that someone was here." Emma tries again, folding her arms before a thought pops into her head and her eyes widen a moment before she schools her features. "I must have just been dreaming" She says with a smile before turning to leave the kitchen._

" _Go back to bed, Emma."_

 _Nodding Emma leaves the kitchen but instead of heading back to her bedroom she tiptoes to the front door._

 _Emma pulls the large creaking door open as quietly as possible, a blast of cold air hitting her face, and looks down at the stoop at the large red box sitting there. Eyes wide, she leans down and pulls the box inside and closes the door, looking around before getting down on her knees to lift the lid._

 _Pulling the lid from the box and setting it aside she peers inside. Sitting in the large box are a number of small gold boxes, each wrapped in a delicate green ribbon. Picking one up to inspect it she sees there is writing on the side and she mouths the words as she reads it slowly._

 _ **Wallingford and Chadwick Confectioners  
Boston, MA.**_

 _Inspecting the small boxes she notes that they are all the same and she shifts them around searching for a note. Tucked between two of the golden boxes she finds a small card with only 5 words on it in simple yet elegant handwriting._

 _ **For the children.**_

 _ **Merry Christmas.**_

 _She settles on the floor and hugs her knees to her chest in the dimly lit room. Emma reads the note several times as she sits on the floor in front of the box. It was beautiful and simple and kind. That last piece something so rare to Emma. The thought that someone had thought of her, of the other children that Christmas Eve, as simple as it was momentarily made her forget the loneliness in her heart and caused a small smile to appear on her face; a real smile._

 _Silently thanking the anonymous strangers in the station wagon, she places the lid back on the box and stands from the floor. Picking the box up she heads back towards the kitchen._

 _It was one of the first Christmases she almost felt that someone was thinking about her and about the other children; That she felt a little less alone; almost felt love._

* * *

"I'll just leave this with you and be on my way." Regina says, stepping in front of the blonde who is now just staring at her in the snowy walkway.

Unable to speak, Emma accepts the box and looks down at it, mouth hanging open slightly.

Regina smiles at her quickly before turning to walk back to her car.

Still in a daze, Emma lifts the lid on the box and peaks inside.

"Wait!" She says, looking back up to the brunette retreating down the path. "Come inside, the children...The children will want to say thank you."

"I'm sorry, I can't." Regina responds, shaking her head with a small smile.

"They will be so grateful that you thought of them." Emma tries again, her voice almost a whisper and her eyes moist.

Tilting her head a moment she studies the blonde, there is something in her eyes that she can't quite figure out. There is a brightness in those green eyes that leaves the brunette speechless for a moment. After a moment she shakes herself out of her wonder and speaks

"See," Regina starts, "On Christmas Eve it's a tradition in my family to leave this particular gift at places like this; for the children. But part of the custom also holds that for it to be a true act of charity the gift must remain anonymous."

"So you've done this before?"

"Oh," Regina starts, small smile on her lips and the fondness of her memories shine in her eyes. "Yes. Some of my earliest recollections of childhood are associated with it." Regina closes her eyes a moment before continuing. "I still remember being with my mother, father, and sister, Zelena and watching, fascinated as Mr. Wallingford hand-wrapped each morsel and then later wiping a peephole in the station wagon frosted window and watching my father quickly leave the packages at the different houses."

They stand in silence a little longer in complete silence, the snow falling lightly around them, each woman lost in their own memories before Regina turns again to make her way back to her car.

Emma stands where Regina left her, box still clutched in her hands as she watches the taillights fade into the distance.

* * *

Regina sits behind her desk in city hall, pen moving quickly on the paperwork in front of her. She smiles to herself as the sounds of children laughing fill the building as the town's afternoon holiday party for the children is in full swing in the large room down the hall.

She pauses her writing and looks up as she hears footsteps approaching just outside her door. A small face attached to a small boy with brown hair peaks around the corner and gives her a curious look.

"Come on in." Regina says warmly, waving the boy inside. "Are you lost?"

"No, I was just exploring." The young boy answers, looking around the large office and then back at Regina. "Are you working? It's Christmas!"

"I am finishing up some work, yes." Regina answers with a chuckle. "Care to keep me company?"

"Sure!" The boy says excitedly, plopping down in a chair. "I'm Henry."

"Hello, Henry." Regina greets with a smile. "I'm Regina."

Regina is about to return to her paperwork when she notices the boy pull something familiar from his jacket pocket.

"Want a piece of chocolate?" Henry asks, giant grin on his face. "It's really good."

"No thank you, Henry," Regina says, "But that is very kind of you to offer."

"You want to hear about the story I'm writing?" Henry asks, biting into the chocolate.

Henry and Regina chat for awhile as Regina works and Regina is liking the cheerful boy's company so much that she doesn't mind that she is finishing her paperwork a little slower.

They are both laughing as Regina hears more footsteps in the hallway and she looks away from her paperwork again to look at the doorway.

"Henry?" A voice comes from around the corner before a familiar face is peering into the office. "Are you bothering the may…"

Emma freezes when she spots who Henry is with.

"Hi, Emma!" Henry says cheerfully. "This is Regina."

"Hi." She finally says, taking a few steps into the office.

"Hello." Regina returns, placing her pen on her desk.

"You're the mayor?" Emma asks, slipping her hands into the back pocket of her jeans as she steps forward towards the pair.

"Indeed." Regina responds with a small smile. "And you must be Henry's foster mother."

"I'm sorry if he's is bothering you." Emma says after nodding with a smile, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder and shooting the mayor a half smile. "He likes to wander."

"No, I was very much enjoying his company, actually." Regina answers, smiling fondly at the young boy. "He was telling me about his writing."

"Well, I'll take him back to the party so you can finish you work." Emma says, lightly squeezing Henry's shoulder fondly and ruffling his hair. "Hey kid, we should get back to the others before the hot cocoa is gone."

Regina nods and watches the interaction between the two.

Henry stands and follows the blonde as they make their way out of the office. Emma pauses in the doorway, turning back to shoot the mayor a quick smile before exiting.

* * *

"Is that the mayor I see? Out from behind her desk?"

"A rare miracle, Marian." Regina says as she turns to her friend approaching her with two cups of apple cider in her hand.

Her friend hands her the drink as they turn to watch the room. It is full of children at several different areas decorating cookies, making Christmas crafts, and playing games.

Regina smiles at their faces but finds herself scanning the room for one face in particular. She finds it quickly, smiling brightly and surrounded by several children. Regina instantly locks on the scene as the blonde laughs and helps the children with her decorate their cookies, her eyes bright and cheerful. The site is doing strange things in her chest.

The fact that she's staring doesn't quite register until the other woman looks up from the children and, spotting Regina, shoots her a smile and a wave before returning to the cookies.

"Friend of yours?" Marian asks, turning to Regina.

"She's," Regina starts, breaking her gaze and looking back at the woman next to her. "No, I just met her earlier when one of the children wandered into my office."

"Ah, I see." Marian responds, eyeing her friend who has gone back to watching the blonde, smile sneaking onto her face before moving to help out at the games station.

* * *

About an hour later, Regina is returning to her office to collect her coat and scarf when she spots something out of place on her desk. She switches on her desk lamp in the dark room and sees a freshly decorated gingerbread cookie sitting on a plate. Regina smiles as she pulls on her coat and scarf and picks up the cookie before turning the light off and walking out of her office.

* * *

Emma, a sleeping child in her arms, finishes instructing the children with her to walk slowly and together once they leave city hall and reach the sidewalk for their short walk home. A smile breaks out on her face as she sees a familiar brunette ahead of them turning to watch them as they approach.

"Merry Christmas, Mayor." Emma says as she approaches the other woman. "And thank you," She starts but then pauses, "For the Christmas party of course. The children really enjoyed it."

"You're welcome, Emma." Regina says, reaching a hand out and placing it on the blonde's arm that is holding onto the sleeping youngster.

They both stand there a moment before giving one last smile and turning away from one another and taking a few steps.

"Emma…"

"Regina…"

Both woman turn and speak at the same time followed by a laugh as they each smile again.

"Would you just ask her out already?!" Marian can be heard shouting several yards away.

Regina's eyes bug out a little at her bold friend and Emma can't help but laugh again as she leans her head against the sleeping child in her arms, eyes on Regina.

"Seriously." Henry says to Emma's left which earns him a playful glare from the blonde.

They turn back to one another and Emma opens her mouth to speak but the brunette beats her to it.

"Do you have a date for New Years Eve, Emma?"


End file.
